The Innovations, Developments, Enhancement and Advancements Program (IDEA)

The Innovations, Developments, Enhancement, and Advancements (IDEA) Program evaluates earth-retaining systems more efficiently and advances the dissemination of ERS technology to the construction industry. Accordingly, the IDEA protocol defines an earth retaining system as a unit that comprises the following elements: 1) Specific components and the materials used for their manufacture, 2) Design methodologies, 3) Construction procedures, and 4) Quality control measures. 

The goal of the IDEA program is to foster further innovation with proven ERS technology, encourage the development of new technologies, and improve the methods by which the technologies are delivered to projects on the ground. The IDEA program is intended to provide a consistent framework to propose changes to standard practice that owners may take advantage of by expanding ERS innovations in their projects. Towards this goal, the IDEA Program has been developed to provide guidance for three tasks: 1) the technical evaluation of earth retaining systems; 2) the use of reports of evaluations by transportation agencies; and 3) archiving and maintaining reports of evaluations. Guidance for the technical evaluation of earth retention systems is provided as a protocol. However, it is assumed that applicants for an ERS evaluation are experienced concerning the requirements of the standard of practice and should have little difficulty completing most of the items in the IDEA protocol checklist. The protocol is designed to check ERS compliance with the standard of practice and evaluate aspects of the system that advance the state of the practice. 

The IDEA protocol includes submittal checklists the applicants use to describe the ERS under consideration. Checklists explain the information the applicant should provide and include a detailed format for submittal organization. The checklist contains five sections for applicant technical input:  

• Section 1: ERS Components, facing, reinforcement, and other components, such as drainage, coping, slip joints, etc.  
• Section 2: ERS Design, describing the design methodology thoroughly, and provide references to supporting literature. 
• Section 3: Construction, the construction manual for the ERS. 
• Section 4: Quality Control, describing the quality control measures that are required for the manufacturing and that are required during construction. 
• Section 5: Performance, describe the system’s development and usage history. 
  
  
  

Oversight for the IDEA Program is performed under the authority of the Evaluation Review Panel within Geo-Institute. The Evaluation Review Panel comprises leaders in the field of ERS drawn from public agencies, academia, ERS manufacturers, and practitioners familiar with ERSs. The role of the Evaluation Review Panel is to provide governance for the administration of the IDEA program rather than perform specific evaluations. The Panel is responsible for developing a Charter to specify the details of the evaluation process. The panel monitors the performance of the ERS Review Team. 

A review team conducts the specific system evaluations of ERS. The Review Team comprises four geotechnical professionals with earth retention expertise in design, specifications, research, testing, and manufacturing. The Team has a Lead Review Consultant (LRC) and three expert members. The LRC is responsible for the system evaluation and finalizing the review report. The three review team members oversee the LRC evaluation activity. Given that there are technical evaluations of ERSs of different types, the composition of the Review Team may differ for separate evaluations depending on the specific expertise needed for a particular system type. 

The time to perform each IDEA evaluation will depend on several factors. In particular, the ERS type and complexity of the potential innovations of the ERS may significantly affect the time that is required for its review. However, the time for this work can be estimated. The applicant is given an estimate for the time to perform their work after the LRC has had the opportunity to review the submittal and assess its complexity. The Applicant is reminded that the total time required to complete the evaluation depends on the applicant’s timely response to the questions and comments from the evaluation process.  

The IDEA protocol provides a mechanism for reviewing proprietary retaining wall systems and issuing technical evaluation reports. Many state and local transportation agencies, as well as large private owners, will find the IDEA protocol sufficient for evaluating wall systems. However, some state DOTs will have supplemental requirements to address their specific wall system requirements. The Geo-Institute identified the need to list individual DOTs’ requirements for using ERS. These listings help guide wall system suppliers, contractors, and engineers working with particular states. A complete list from all fifty states is found here.

The IDEA program can assist transportation agencies in effectively using Final Technical Evaluation reports. Each agency should establish a means for considering IDEA program reports and approving the use of any particular ERS on projects within its jurisdiction. These measures are necessary because highway construction conditions, policies, and procedures for ERS approvals vary considerably between individual state DOTs and transportation agencies.

The following interview is from 2025 Special USA and Canada Geotechnical Business Directory edition, available as an e-book and in-print, and will be distributed for free during the Geotechnical Frontiers 2025 through ARGO-E GROUP’s booth.